Pepperdine’s third season will be a challenge, but if two variables are addressed, no team will be a pushover.

카지노사이트Pepper Savings Bank, coached by Joe Trinzi, is preparing for its third season. Every year since its inception in 2021, there have been changes. The first head coach, Kim Hyung-sil, resigned in the middle of last season, and the second coach, Kim Ahen, had to step down before his debut due to sudden personal circumstances. Joe Trinzi has been with the team since early July.

The coaching staff has also changed. Sunghee Lee is leaving to work with youth, and veteran coach John Grossman is joining the team. John Grossman came highly recommended by Coach Joe Trinzi. It was the best choice to strengthen the defense. The existing coaches Lee Kyung-soo, Park Min-beom, and Park Sung-soo will remain.

Yasmin preparing to attack. Photo (Gwangju)=Reporter Lee Jung-won

Yeom Er-hung working on her rehabilitation. Photo (Gwangju)=Jungwon Lee
There are big changes in the coaching staff as well as the squad. Park Jung-ah, the national team captain, joined the team, and Chae Sun-ah, who excels in defense, came in. Lee Han-bi and Oh Ji-young stayed, Choi Ga-eun left, but the main setter, Lee Ig-eun, who left as an FA compensation player, came back. The domestic roster is second to none.

Pepper Savings Bank finished last in the last two seasons. It’s been a rough road. In their inaugural season, the team finished with a record of 11 points, 3 wins, and 28 losses, and last season, with a record of 14 points, 5 wins, and 31 losses, they finished last in both seasons. In order to rebound, the players are sweating it out and trying their best.

Pepe Savings Bank’s upcoming season will depend on the fitness of Yasmin Bedard (real name Yasmin) and Yeom Erhung. Yasmin was the second overall pick in the foreign draft in May. When healthy, Yasmin’s skills are undeniable. In the V-League, she played 43 matches with 1033 points, a 44.14 attack percentage, 0.506 blocks per set, and 0.444 serves per set.

However, her back was a question mark. In her first season in Korea, 2021-22, she missed time with a back injury, and in 2022-23, she was forced to leave the team after the third-round match against Pepper Savings Bank. Not once, but twice. Yasmin hadn’t fully healed during tryouts, so she simply warmed up. Nevertheless, Pepper Savings Bank took the risk of drafting her.

A healthy Yasmin is unstoppable. Photo by Chun Jung-hwan
“I thought it would be helpful for a young team like ours, going into our third year, to have a V-League veteran,” said Aachen coach Kim, who chose Yasmin at the time. There are risks no matter who you choose. Yasmin is a veteran pro player and she knows what to do. We chose her because we know she has a professional mindset.”

At the time of her draft, Yasmin also said, “I’ve made a full recovery in terms of my spine, and I’m focusing on increasing my strength and things like that. “The overall timeline, I feel like I’ve gotten stronger by the time I joined. She’s going to have a good two months until August.”

It’s been a little over a month since Yasmin joined the team. Yasmin has come on as much as she said she would when she was drafted. She was able to serve as well as attack forward and backward without any problems. She was constantly talking to her setter, Lee Ig-eun, and Park Sa-sa, trying to find a rhythm, and her physical defense was impressive. In fact, the coaching staff even discouraged Yasmin from trying to run the floor. She was also able to handle the bounced balls without too much trouble. It is expected that her body will improve with more time, according to Pepper Savings Bank.

Last year’s No. 1 draft pick, 195-centimeter middle blocker Yeom Er Hung, played just two games last season before being diagnosed with a re-torn right ACL (medial) and lateral meniscus. He was out for the season. He rehabbed. Unlike Yasmin, Yeom Er Heng still needs a little more time. “After the end of the season, there were abnormalities in her other knee, which delayed her return,” said a Pepper Savings Bank representative. While her teammates were doing ball drills, she was working on strengthening exercises on one side.

He needs a little more time to get back to 100 percent. Photo by Chun Jung-hwan
However, head coach Joe Trinzi has been using her as a one-point blocker to check her performance in certain situations. The intimidating effect of her height was still there, but she still needed some time to fully develop her jump.

Pepper Savings Bank is looking to erase the disappointment of the past two seasons. If Yasmin and Yeom Er Heng are healthy, no team will take them lightly.